Fully autonomous vehicles can act as taxies, delivery vehicles, and passenger vehicles, among other things. Autonomous vehicles may be reserved using an online application or “app,” for example, and deliver people or cargo from one place to another. Like non-autonomous vehicles, autonomous vehicles can include seats, tray tables, cupholders, pockets, cubbies, and other facilities to enable passengers to use and stow personal items in transit. Thus a passenger may place a backpack on the seat next to them, for example, while they use a laptop on a tray table.
When traveling in an autonomous vehicle, or indeed any vehicle, however, there is a risk that items may be left behind at the end of a journey. On a rainy day, for example, people may leave their umbrella in the car, especially if the weather has cleared up. People may place a briefcase or backpack on the seat next to them and then leave it behind due to a distraction (e.g., an incoming call or text). Indeed, whether a vehicle is autonomously, semi-autonomously, or manually controlled, the risk of leaving items in the vehicle exists.